Filming for the new season will begin on Monday with the premiere airing March 13th. Surprisingly missing from the cast – Housewives! NeNe Leakes previously revealed that she had no interest in returning and despite several cast members from her season joining the new season, Teresa Giudice was not on the list (although she still works with the Trump family to raise money for Nephcure).

Most surprisingly is that Omarosa Manigault is returning to reality TV – and I'm already afraid.

And leading up to tonight’s finale, Marlee spoke out on the drama involving her fired former teammates Star Jones and Nene Leakes, making it clear she wasn’t a fan. “Whatever the hoopla was that surrounded the relationship they had and whatever drama came, I didn’t choose to involve it in terms of the way I played the game,” said Marlee in a conference call with the press. “Whatever way they decided to deal with each other isn’t what I am about or the kind of person I am.”

Marlee’s comments would explain why she did not choose Star to join her team for the final task. She continued, “Whatever clash that occurred, for me, it got too old too quick. I just decided to focus on the task; it’s not about who I am. Sometimes it overshadowed the purpose and my aim for being there which was to raise money for charity but I would never let it get in the way.”

Marlee then went on to make it clear that she still respects both women. “But they are both women I respect and I know are very vocal and that’s what is great about them,” she added.

Meanwhile, John Rich also revealed a shocking tidbit while talking to the press, which is that he and rapper Lil Jon were actually friends before the Apprentice – something they both failed to reveal on the show!

According to Jon, he met Lil Jon years ago at an awards show. “I remember shaking hands with him at an awards show,” said John. “It wasn’t like we became best friends or anything because we live in different towns, but anytime I was in Atlanta or LA, because he is back and forth between the two towns, I’d always call him, and every now and then he’d be in Nashville and would call me.”

In fact, John called Lil Jon to inform him about joining the CA cast only to discover Lil Jon would also be appearing on the show. “I actually called when I’d decided I would be on Celebrity Apprentice to tell him I’d be on a TV show and might need him to help me out with a task or donation at some point,” said John. “He started laughing and said, ‘Too late, I’m on the same show!’ We just laughed our heads off. At that point I said, ‘This will be fun.”

So can we expect a music collabo from the ‘Jons?’ That answer is a yes! “We actually did record something together and there is a record coming out now called Rich Rocks, and Lil Jon appears as a guest artist,” explain John. “It’s a really cool thing and I’ve had a huge response from all the country fans that are really liking him too.”

The super-duper sized 3-hour episode of Celebrity Apprenticeaired last night and it did not disappoint! The episode brought us a not so surprising whiner and quitter, a sequel of a previous firing, and ended with arguably the most shocking “you’re fired” of the season!

Let’s begin with Donald Trump meeting up with the remaining 7 contestants to give them instructions for their new task. Nene Leakes, who verbally attackedStar Jones last week for reasons still unclear, is feeling much better this day and ready to make up with Star. When asked by Trump if she was ready to work with the Nene, Star made it clear that answer was a NO. And can you blame her? Trump ended up moving Nene to the other team, and the overly sensitive bully’s feelings were apparently hurt. Victim Nene stated she needed some time to herself, and selfishly disappeared on her team, who were forced to work without her. “Nene is so disappointing to me. You can’t abandon us. She didn’t even say goodbye,” stated John Rich.

“Laying out @ the pool doing me! Just fabulous hunni,” tweeted Nene yesterday, the same day the above photo and many others below were taken.

Nene was photographed in a teeny neon yellow bikini top, playing with an ipad and reading magazines. She later caught up with Basketball Wives star Jennifer Williams yesterday night during which they both hung out. All of the photos are below.

Meanwhile,Star Jones appeared on the Wendy Williams Show this Friday during which she touched on the Nene feud. At first, Star appeared to take the high road. “I am an educated African American woman I am not going to lower myself. Period. Bar none,” stated Star.

Following further grilling by host Wendy, Star then added, “Did I sleep with her and forget to call the next day? Because I am starting to feel that way. Have you ever had an experience where someone talks about you again and again and again?”

Moving on to the Celebrity Apprentice as a new episode airs tonight on NBC at 9/8c.

On the fourth episode this season titled “Off the Hook,” the star contestants answer the call to produce a 30-second video for a video-phone product. While one team works on a tender ad that tugs at emotions, the other team creates a video loaded with controversy. Both Nene Leakes and Lil Jon will serve as project managers for their teams.

Nene has spent the past couple of weeks slamming Star in the press, you know, calling her “special” and stating she “wouldn’t spit on Star if she was on fire.” Star on the other hand has appeared to take the high road in the feud, stating in a recent interview that she did not want to contribute to the stereotype of the “bombastic black woman.”

Nene however sees things differently. “I’m not surprised that Star used the ‘black women need to get along. Oh, she’s just being a black woman being mad or yelling or whatever,'” Nene tells Zap2It in a recent interview. “She has no fault in this. So, let’s just say that. You can not argue by yourself.” Nene goes on to refer to Star as “phony,” adding, “I’m like this, if you are a b***h, own it. Be a b***h 24 hours, own that. Be that.”

So what is Nene’s strategy on Celebrity Apprentice you ask? “Going into ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ I didn’t have any strategies,” admits Nene. “I was a little scared going there. I saw Donald and I thought that he was scary. You know, mean-mugging you and not really smiling. So, I was really scared of that. I just went in, thinking to myself that I’m just here to fight for my charity and I don’t want to be voted off first. That’s all I thought.”

Moving on to tonight’s season premiere — the “sixteen celebrities engage in business-themed battles when Donald Trump’s competition series begins its 11th season. In the opener, the stars must manage a New York City pizzeria.” The celebrities include La Toya Jackson, Lisa Rinna, Richard Hatch, Marlee Matlin, Dionne Warwick, Gary Busey, David Cassidy, Lil Jon, Meat Loaf and Mark McGrath.

A preview clip is below –

TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SEASON PREMIERE OF CELEBRITY APPRENTICE?

Based on the cast list, it is certain that this season will likely be the most dramatic yet as Donald Trumpeven revealed that two of the cast members got into a fist fight during filming, but more on that later.

“The next season of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ will be the most exciting yet,” said the Donald. “We are thrilled to bring back the celebrity format with 16 new and unbelievably talented celebrities who will help me make ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ one of the hottest shows on television this spring. This will be season 11 — Amazing!”

And during his recent appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this week, Trump revealed that Nene Leakes had “huge problems” and “fistfights” with Star Jones! “I’ve never seen anything like it on television,” said Trump. “I wouldn’t wanna fight NeNe Leakes,” added Jimmy.

Nene, star of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, also admitted she is no fan of Star’s during her Friday interview with Hoda Kotb on the fourth hour of the Today Show.

“The whole sneaky, back stabbing, forming alliances, I just don’t like…she may have a new body, but she doesn’t have a new brain. You still think the same even though you lose weight so I don’t know,” said Nene of Star.

The new season of Celebrity Apprentice premieres March 6 on NBC.

TELL US – WILL YOU BE TUNING IN? THOUGHTS ON THE NENE AND STAR JONES FEUD?

And thanks to Las Vegas Weekly, the all new cast of Celebrity Apprentice 4 season has now been leaked! The most notable reality star on the cast is non other than Nene Leakes of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Other reality stars include Gary Busey, the actor who is now notorious for his stint on Celebrity Rehab, and actress Lisa Rinna, who’s lips currently star on a TV Land reality series titled Harry Loves Lisa. Richard Hatch, you know the first Survivor winner who became famous for not paying his taxes and going to jail, is signed on as well.

The cast also includes a number of musicians such as rapper Lil Jon, Meatloaf, Mark McGrath, David Cassidy, LaToya Jackson, Dionne Warwick, and John Rich of Big & Rich.

The remaining cast members are Hope Dworaczyk – 2010 Playmate of the Year, supermodel Niki Taylor, actress Marlee Matlin and athlete Jose Canseco. The 16th and final cast member? Star Jones – former host of The View.

The new season of Celebrity Apprentice reportedly began filming days ago and is set to debut in 2011 on NBC.